UPDATE: Results of Alnwick students’ mock election

Ben O’Connell

Students at the Duchess’s Community High School in Alnwick went to the polls this morning in their own version of today’s vote in the Berwick constituency – and the winner came out on top by just one vote.

Green candidate Rachael Roberts won with 171 votes, closely followed by Conservative Anne-Marie Trevelyan with 170. Lib Dem Julie Pörksen came in third with 145 on a 76 per cent turnout; the vote wasn’t compulsory.

Daniel Leng voting at the Duchess's Community High School's Bailiffgate site. Picture by Michael Pearson

Chris Routledge, the school’s head of business and politics, explained that they had spent registration periods in the lead-up to election day educating students on the policies of the six candidates running in the constituency, to ensure both knowledge and fairness for all.

At registration time, around 8.50am to 9.10am, Years 9-11 voted in their form classes while the Sixth Form at the Bailiffgate site went to the ballot box to vote.

In the video above, Imogen Horrocks (Year 9) and Daniel Leng (Year 13) explain why they think young people should take an interest in politics, the issues that matter to them and whether they think the voting age should be lowered to 16.